Week Sees Record COVID-19 Deaths

Sep 26 , 2021


Last week saw 216 lives lost to COVID-19, the highest death toll since the pandemic took hold in March 2020. September 22, 2021, alone saw 47 deaths, equalling the previous peak recorded during the pandemic's second wave in April this year. So far, over 5,300 people have succumbed to the virus. The spike in cases over the past month is attributed to the delta variant, which the US Centre for Disease Control characterises as twice as deadly as previous strains. The total number of people vaccinated has surpassed 2.75 million, less than three percent of the population.


Radar

Union Urges Meeting with Premier Over Living Cost

Rising living costs that reduce the purchasing power of stagnant workers' wages prompted leaders of the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU) to urge a meeting with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD). Flanked by Minster of Justice Gedion Timotheos, Abiy met with senior members of the Union last year to discuss issues related to freedom of associations, collective bargaining and the imminent challenge of inflation to the workforce. However, Kasahun Follo, head of the Union, said reduced...


Radar

Customs Chief Accuses Critics of Bias, Vows to Address Steel Imports

Steel manufacturers' struggles and the impact of duty-free imports on domestic production have caught the attention of parliamentarians. During the Customs Commission's presentation of its nine-month performance, an MP directed a question to Commissioner Debele Kabeta, seeking clarification on the measures being taken by his institution to mitigate the influx of imports that are negatively affecting local manufacturers. While the source remains elusive, over 56 million Br worth of contrab...


Radar

Tech Tools Offer Digital Lifeline to Refugees

A digital platform that aims to connect skilled refugees and potential employers within the host communities was launched in a partnership between the UNHCR and Gebeya Inc. The project has onboarded 300 refugees into the system since its inception five months ago and hopes to reach 2,000 individuals across Gebeya's system soon. Ethiopia is currently the third largest refugee and asylum seeker hosting country in Africa, with close to one million individuals. The country also has an additional...


Back
WhatsApp
Telegram
Email